Mortal Kombat: Reflections
by Snafu the Great
Summary: Takes place two years after the events of Mortal Kombat Deception. A closer look into the lives of Mortal Kombat's two couples. Liu Kang & Kitana, Johnny Cage & Sonya Blade.
1. Chapter 1

Mortal Kombat: Reflections 

A Mortal Kombat Fanfiction

By The Headcrook

Legal BS Disclaimer: All characters and other stuff belongs to Midway Entertainment. This is my first MK Fanfic, after writing Street Fighter and Resident Evil for some time now. This story takes place 2 years after the events of Mortal Kombat Deception.

Note: I know that I'm spelling Raiden's name Rayden. I like the other version of his name better than the original. Also, there's something about Liu that most people don't know (it's not real, just made up). There is also a reference as to who played Kitana in the videogame versions of Mortal Kombat as well.

Part One

-Liu Kang's New Wu Tai Academy-

It was past midnight as Liu Kang woke up to an empty bed. This wasn't the first time this has happened, since it was nearing the anniversary of his and his friends' deaths at the hands of the Deadly Alliance and their resurrection at the hands of Onaga.

That was two years ago.

A lot can happen in the two years following The Deadly Alliance's defeat and Onaga's demise. One was the fact that Liu was now married. To Princess Kitana.

He was Liu Kang, Mortal Kombat champion, Warrior for the Realm of Earth.

And now he had a new title to add: Prince Regent of Edenia.

While recovering in Edenia following Onaga's demise, Liu had reconnected with Kitana. The last time they had spoken to one another, Kitana had offered him her hand in marriage, but Liu declined. This time, it was Liu who had proposed, seeing as how after ten years, he was still in love with Kitana and she felt the same way about him.

This time, it was Kitana that ended up saying yes.

There was also the fact that he was not of noble blood, but since Edenian nobles were scarce since Shao Kahn's invasion and conquest of Edenia some ten thoudand years earlier, Queen Sindel overlooked that small matter, as long as Liu completed the training to become an Edenian Guard, to make his engagment to Kitana legitimate.

The training was harsh and nearly unbearable, but Liu's Shaolin training proved to be quite useful for the task that laid before him. Not only did he completed the training to become a Edenian Guard, but Sindel and Rayden have given them their blessings for their impending marriage. The wedding took place in the Edenian Capital, in the courtyard of the Edenian Palace, Rayden presiding.

All of their friends and allies were present. Johnny Cage and his date, Sonya Blade. Of course, Liu had suspected that they had been a couple since Shinnok's Earthrealm invasion attempt. Major Jackson Briggs and Cyrax was also there, as were the Lin Kuei grandmaster Subzero and his second-in-command, the reprogrammed cyber-ninja Smoke, rescued from the depths of the Netherrealm from the grip of Noob Saibot, which to Subzero's horror and shock was his brother, was the previous Subzero whom Scorpion had killed back on Shang Tsung's island some ten years ago. Kitana's longtime partner Jade was acting as the bridesmaid, while Kung Lao acted as the best man. Even Nightwolf, the Indian historian/shahman and Rain, now a general in the Edenian defense forces, also showed up.

The wedding went on without a hitch (no Outworld soldiers, Seido fanatics or mutants) and following the honeymoon, both Liu Kang and Kitana were back at work; Liu running the Wu Tai Academy, now relocated to the Hawaiian Islands, since the Chinese government had not allowed him to return back home for some unknown reasons. Reasons that were known only to Liu and no one else, and Kitana, juggling her duties as Edenia's princess and the Supreme General of Edenia's armies.

Seeing as how the two-year anniversary of their deaths and resurrections were coming up, both acted distant to one another, since as how it was still a rough subject to them both, mostly for Kitana, having been killed by Quan Chi, resurrected and brainwashed by Onaga and forced to guard her mother, whom the Dragon King held prisoner in the Edenian Palace. Liu didn't have it no better, seeing as how both Shang Tsung and Quan Chi double-teamed him, the end result was him getting his neck snapped by Shang Tsung.

Liu kicked the covers back and got out of the bed. Standing up, he looked at the small alarm clock. It read 1:59 am. Dressed in a white tanktop and pajama pants, his now-short hair in slight disarray (think Stephen Chow from Kung Fu Hustle), Liu walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, knowing where his wife would most likely be at this time of night.

Liu's intuition was right. Seated at the dining room table, hunched over a steaming cup of jasmine petal tea, was Kitana, former Outworld ward to Shao Kahn, current Princess of Edenia and faithful consort to Liu Kang.

The Edenian princess/martial artist was dressed in a simple tanktop and a pair of cotton shorts that did absoulutely justice to her stunning figure. Her shiny dark hair, which she had grew long again, was tied back with a blue bandanna - Kitana's favorite color since her days as an Outworld assassin under Shao Kahn.

She looked up from her tea when she realized that he was standing over her. "Sorry if I woke you up," she replied, her tone soft with a hint of her Edenian accent, her chocolate brown eyes staring into Liu's chestnut brown orbs.

Liu took a seat across from her. "Couldn't sleep?"

Kitana shook her head. "I haven't been getting any sleep lately."

"So I've noticed."

Kitana took the cup and took a sip of her tea. Liu noticed that she has been under a lot of stress as of late. With their impending anniversary just days away, Kitana seemed more distant than usual. Add the fact that Shao Kahn was alive and that her former ally Goro were working together to rebuild their power back in Outworld, not to mention that Seido was trying to expand their influence over in Edenian territory that did not go too well with the ten-thousand year old princess.

An uneasy silence settled between the both of them, Kitana continuing to drink her tea. Liu looked over to the living room's mantle, where a picture of them, Johnny and Sonya rested. It was taken while they were at a carnival shortly before their wedding.

Liu knew that Kitana had first-hand knowledge of Earth's electronics and technology, having been to Earth more times than she counted in her long lifetime, so she knew how to work many items. She even had a driver's license and a passport under an assumed name, thanks to an Outworld cell that was hiding out somewhere in North America.

'What kind of name is Katalin Gable?' Liu had wondered when he saw her passports.

He couldn't complain, since Johnny had even worser names for his characters in his movies. He knew that she and him had to talk, otherwise it would not get any better between them.

"You know," he began, "I made a lousy monk. I know that sounds strange to you, me being the Mortal Kombat champion and all, but it's the truth."

Kitana looked up at him.

"When I was nine, my parents died in a freak accident, but I heard rumors that the Chinese government was responsible for their deaths, because they were active in the underground," Liu continued. "Shortly afterward, my older brother abandoned me and I was taken in by the Shaolin monks. I was a little monster, rebelling against the elders, not doing as I was supposed to. I was disciplined almost on a daily basis. I guess I was angry at my parents and my brother for abandoning me. But most of all, I was angry with myself."

Kitana could sympathise with him. She had never gotten to know her father and despite the fact that Kahn had driven her mother to suicide, the Outworld emperor was the closest thing she had as a father...that is until she had found out the truth about her real family.

"But there was one old monk that saved me from myself," Liu went on. "His name was Lo Chen Wong. He was a martial arts teacher that saw that I had potential to do great things. Despite the abbott's misgivings, he taught me Pao Chui."

"Pao Chui?" Kitana repated, obviously puzzled.

"For a 10,000 year old princess, you sure don't know that much about monks," Liu replied, grinning.

"Maybe it's because Kahn never sent me on assigments as to where I had to kill Shaolin monks," Kitana replied. "I never heard of Pao Chui before."

"Pao Chui means 'Three Emperor Cannon Punch,'" Liu explained. "It's also connected with Chen-style Tai Chi Chuan. I didn't learn Jun Fan until maybe, eight, maybe nine years before I was invited to Shang Tsung's island. Anyway, I owed everything to Master Wong. Because of him, I managed to join the White Lotus Society and continued my training." His expression then darkened. "When I came back after Baraka and his Tarkatans raided and destroyed the temple, I found Master Wong's body. He died while trying to protect the temple."

Kitana remembered that part all too well. When Shao Kahn found out that Shang Tsung lost the final Mortal Kombat that would allow him to finally seize control of Earth, he was so furious that he ordered Baraka to attack and destroy Liu's home in retaliation.

"Remember when we first met?" Kitana asked.

Liu snorted. "If you call THAT a meeting,"

Flashback

_Hollywood, California, ten years ago. Following the Shaolin Temple's destruction, Liu has met up with the sole survivor of the carnage: Kung Lao. They were then greeted by the younger brother of Subzero, who took on the namesake of his older brother following his demise at the hands of Scorpion._

_When they arrived at the set where Johnny was shooting a commercial by means of a Lin Kuei jet, they found that he was already under attack by Shang Tsung, who was given his youth back by Shao Kahn._

_And Shang had brought some backup._

_Kung Lao looked out thw window, where a tiger-striped Shokan with spiked harnesses was in battle with a beefed-up back man in red, white, and black tights, and combat boots._

_"Is that Goro!" Kung Lao gasped._

_Liu shook his head. "No. But whoever's fighting it won't last long."_

_Subzero had Liu and Kung Lao dropped off on the first pass, while he would surprise them on the second round. Liu had first rushed to Johnny's aid, where Baraka and the masked woman in blue wielding the steel fans were giving him one hell of a time._

_The woman saw Liu and broke off her attack on Johnny, giving him some much-needed breathing room to fully focus on the Tarkatan warrior. She closed her fans and slipped them behind her back, assumed a fighting stance and attacked. Liu saw that she knew Bagua zhang, as well as Ying Jow Pai, or the Eagle Claw style of Kung Fu._

_Between these two, it turned out to be a full-blown Kung Fu fight...but Liu noticed something was wrong. She wasn't trying to kill him, much rather convince Shang Tsung that she was. Shang tried to catch Liu with a cheap shot by firing one of his Flaming Skulls at him, but he missed, forcing the two combatants to back off, the mystery lady back to Shang's side and Liu back to Kung Lao's side, just as he flung his hat at the hulking Shokan, catching him in the chest and forcing him to back off from his opponent._

_"It looks like I got reinforcements!" the black guy yelled as he hopped back._

_Shang was not pleased. He was hoping to see Kintaro pound his opponent into the ground. "What's this!" he seethed._

_"Any enemy of Shang Tsung's is an ally of ours," Liu stated. From the looks of things, he was ready to have a go with the sorcerer himself for a second time._

_But that had to wait..._

End Flashback

"I'm surprised you didn't try any harder," Liu said as he remembered their first confrontation.

"I'm surprised you didn't try and kill Shang Tsung right then and there," Kitana replied. "But then again, some people rarely stay dead in these tournaments. Like you, for example."

"But Shang and Quan Chi is," Liu replied. "I saw the battle between Onaga, the Deadly Alliance and Rayden through Shang's eyes. He and Quan Chi are pretty much dead."

Kitana held herself, trembling slightly. "But still...the fact that we were all killed by the Deadly Alliance...and being resurrected and brainwashed by Onaga."

Kitana was still obsessing over the fact that she and the others had failed in stopping the Deadly Alliance and were killed by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi. Onaga had resurrected all of them and specifically used her to guard her mother, the Dragon King knowing full well that Sindel would never lay a hand on her daughter. Or course, Jade was there and she didn't share Sindel's concerns, seeing as she was hiding in the shadows when Onaga brought Kitana and the others back to life and placed them under his spell.

Once everything was back to normal, Sindel had reassured Kitana that it wasn't her fault. Rayden also told her the same thing, eventhough Kitana suspected that there was something...different about the thunder god, something...dark about him.

She felt her husband's reassuring hands on her shoulders. She looked up and found herself staring into his warm face. The former Shaolin monk gently pulled his wife up to her feet, so that she would look at him face-to-face.

"You're still thinking about Onaga?" Liu asked, reading the expression on Kitana's face.

Kitana nodded. "I can't help it," she replied. "He resurrected me and the others, then brainwashed us into being his slaves, and not only that there's..."

"Mileena and Tanya?" Liu guessed.

Kitana nodded. When Mileena found out that Kitana was one of Onaga's bodyguards through the Tarkatan Baraka, she took her place as general of Edenia's forces against Baraka's Tarkatan armies. When Mileena came to realize that she was in control of the most powerful army in Edenia and Outworld, she tried to silence Baraka, who knew the truth.

However, despite being a liablity and known for his fits of rage and decapitating offenders left and right, Baraka wasn't stupid. When Mileena asked to meet with him at the Beetles' Lair, Baraka had sent a body double in his place. His suspicions were confirmed when Mileena emerged from the lair, smelling of blood, following throwing the fake Baraka into a throng of flesh-eating beetles. Then the real Baraka showed himself and literally ripped her apart.

As a gruesome wedding present, Baraka presented Kitana and Liu the head of the mutant clone that Kitana once regarded as her sister.

Jade, on the other hand, would personally see Tanya dead. Jade had snuck into the Edenian Palace, rescued Sindel and locked Kitana inside her cell. Unfortunately, Kitana's screams had alerted Onaga's forces and just as her and Sindel escaped through the portal, Jade had seen the traitorous Tanya at Onaga's side.

When the opportunity presented itself, Jade executed her plan. She allowed herself to get captured by Tanya and a squad of Tarkatan soldiers, then when Tanya was close enough, Jade lobbed a glass orb filled with concentrated Tarkatan pheromnes, making the double-crossing Edenian reek like a male Tarkatan.

Their primal instincts kicking in, thinking that Tanya was a rival male, they attacked and killed Tanya. Once she was dead, Jade decapitated her and threw her head over one of Outworld's many cliffs.

"You do't have to worry about them," Liu said. "Not anymore. They are dead and gone. Possibly rotting in the Netherrealm with the Deadly Alliance. But I understand all too well where you're coming from. And believe me when I say that being killed by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi is the one thing I would much rather forget."

"At least we know how Johnny felt when he died during the Outworld invasion," Kitana added, grinning.

Liu admired his wife's face. Ten thousand years old and she looked like she was in her early to mid-twenties. "You look cute when you smile," Liu noted.

"Remember the first time you said that?" Kitana reminded him.

Flashback

_The Living Forest, Outworld. There was something else here, Liu noticed._

_Someone was watching him._

_Before he could fire off a Dragon Flare, a calm female voice spoke. "I am not your enemy, Liu Kang. Calm down."_

_The woman stepped out, her face concealed by a dark cloak._

_Liu looked at the newcomer. "Who are you?"_

_The woman removed her hood, revealing to him that the woman was the same one he had fought back on Earth. She was still wearing her outfit, her face covered by her mask._

_Liu's first thought was to beat her down, but she raised one hand. "Wait. I had to fight you, otherwise Shang Tsung might catch on to my motives."_

_Liu reluctatly lowered his fists. "What motives? Who are you?"_

_"Princess Kitana," the woman introduced herself. She then looked at Liu. "You're not what I expect from the man who defeated Shang Tsung."_

_"I get that a lot." Liu then stared at her. "Wait...princess? Then that must mean that you're Shao Kahn's daughter!"_

_Kitana shook her head. "Stepdaughter. He killed my father, drove my mother to commit suicide and adopted me as his daughter."_

_Liu's expression softened. "I'm sorry to hear that. It must have been hard for you all these years."_

_Kitana scoffed. "Ten thousand years is a long time to live under his rule."_

_Liu balked. "Ten thousand years! You're 10,000 years old?"_

_Kitana nodded. "Outworlders, Seidans and Edenians have longer lifespans that those on Earth." She shrugged her shoulders. "Either that or time passes very, very slowly here." She took a step forward. "Liu, I've been waiting for a long time for the perfect moment to overthrow Kahn and free Edenia from his rule. Now, with you as Mortal Kombat champion, we have that chance."_

_Liu thought about it for a moment. "You're taking a big risk in coming here like this," he said. "How I can trust someone who is working for the enemy?"_

_Kitana moved closer so that she was less than a foot from the Chinese fighter. Her eyes bore into his as she replied, "You just have to trust me then, won't you."_

_Liu was wondering what she looked like underneath her mask. He had already seen what Mileena had looked like, since he was the sole witness of her executing an offending soldier in Kahn's army. The last thing he wanted was to trust a woman with Tarkatan teeth._

_He reached out with one hand. Kitana looked alarmed, but she realised that he wanted to see her face without the mask, and allowed him to slip it down her face. Needless to say, he was completely surprised to see a beautiful woman's face._

_Liu summed up his feelings in one word: "Nice."_

_That caught Kitana off guard. She did the only thing she had rarely did in her life: she smiled at Liu's compliment._

_"You should smile more often," Liu noted. "You look cute when you smile."_

_"Maybe when Shao Kahn's finally brought down and Edenia's free, then I'll smile more."_

End Flashback

"I should apologise to you, Liu," Kitana said. "I guess with the whole thing with the Deadly Alliance and Onaga coming up, I guess I became a total bitch." She sighed. "Just thinking about it still gives me chills."

She was cut off when Liu embraced her. Almost by reflex, her arms wrapped around his back and rested her head on his chest. Liu kissed her gently on the forehead.

"What's in the past is in the past," Liu said. "Regardless of what happened. Some memories can be painful and to forget can be a blessing in disguise."

Kitana pulled back from Liu slightly so she can look at him. "I never thought you were that deep."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me. And there's a lot of things that I don't know about you."

Kitana leaned in and have him a light kiss on the lips. "Then I guess we can learn together then, right?"

Liu held his wife close. "Of course, my darling wife. We have out whole lives to learn."

As they held each other, they forgot about their responsiblities, their obligations and even their own dark pasts. What counted was that they had each other to draw support from and encourage each other.

Maybe things will be okay...for now.


	2. Chapter 2

Part Two

Note: As with in the first chapter, there is a reference as to who played Johnny Cage in the game.

-Johnny Cage's upscale loft, Los Angeles, California-

"IIIYYYAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The scream from the master bedroom caught John Carlton's attention. Better known by his screenname, Johnny Cage, the action star knew that his girlfriend was having another nightmare. Johnny jumped out of his chair, bolted out of his study, and into the bedroom, where the blonde woman was still screaming, still locked inside her nightmare, thrashing around in the bed.

"Sonya?" Johnny shouted, grabbing the blonde warrior by her shoulders, shaking her gently. "Sonya, wake up!"

Sonya Blade continued to thrash in Johnny's firm grip. Then she opened her eyes and Johnny saw the one thing that he thought he would never see in all the years he had known her.

Fear.

That and she was drenched in sweat. She was wearing a tanktop and a pair of cotton shorts. Her dogtags were around her neck. Her shoulder-length dyed blonde hair was matted on her head as she looked at Johnny, her chest rising and falling with every breath that she took.

"Sonya, calm down," Johnny said. "You were having a nightmare." His azure eyes looked into Sonya's own, the blonde military officer seeing the support in them.

Sonya the wrapped her arms around Johnny, nearly crushing him in her embrace. The movie star endured the slight pain as Sonya buried her head into his chest as he wrapped his own arms around her back, holding her gently until she calmed down.

"Was it...two years ago?" Johnny asked.

Sonya didn't respond, but Johnny knew what the nightmare was about: their defeat at the hands of the Deadly Alliance. Sonya was mortally wounded by Shang Tsung while Johnny had stepped in, using his own body as a human shield to protect Sonya from Quan Chi, who impaled him with his swords.

They both died together, Sonya first, then Johnny.

And were revived by Onaga, brainwashed into becoming his bodyguards. But the spirit of their deceased friend, Liu Kang, along with the ninja Ermac, released them from the mental bindings and turned against Onaga and Li Mei, who betrayed her friends and allies.

Sonya, as well as everyone else, was baffled as to why Li Mei had betrayed them, until Liu's former master, the Outworlder 'Bo Rai Cho explained to everyone that since her soul was transferred into one of Onaga's soldiers, her memories and those of the undead soldier had merged. Or course, everyone present had wanted to pound Li Mei's head into the ground, but there were other concerns.

Mainly the corpse of Liu Kang, which had revived under strange circumstances and had gone on a wild killing spree. Liu's spirit decided to stop his body, no matter what the cost.

The ensing battle had lasted for nearly a day, the corpse and spirit performing an intricate dance of death in front of Earth, Outworld and Edenia's martial arts hierachies. Then Rayden, who just got finished frying Shujinko to a crisp for putting Earth in danger, showed up and zapped both Liu's spirit and his body with a bolt of lighting.

Johnny and Sonya, as well as the others, watched in facination as body and spirit fused into one being. When the smoke cleared, Liu Kang was back among the living, more powerful than ever.

Following the ordeal, Rayden had ordered his fighters to stand down and rest. Sindel was nice enough to allow the fighters from Earth to rest and recover in Edenia. Liu, on the other hand was in a coma for about a week following the past events.

Johnny and Sonya took that time out to start over. When you're a hotshot action star who's favorite pasttime is puching bad guys in the nuts and your supposed love interest is a military officer with a killer kiss, you need that time off to get to know each other better. Sure Johnny and Sonya dated, but their relationship was mostly on-and-off, because of Johnny's repsonsibilities to his acting career and Sonya's own obligations to both the military and the Outerworld Investigaition Agency.

Now, with the O.I.A. being transferred to California and out of the Mojave Desert, since the old HQ was contaminated by nuclear fallout (thanks to Hsu Hao and his mini-nuke, not to mention Sonya being bumped up to Major for her efforts by Jax, he himself getting promoted to Lieutenant Colonel), it gave the both of them the chance to start off as friends and work their way back up.

The new O.I.A. base was located what was formerly the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. The air station was decommmissioned and Jax saw it as a perfect place to set up shop. It also put Sonya within driving distance to Johnny.

Johnny had decided to take a small break from acting and focus on being behind the director's chair. Actually, he was pulling double duty as both actor and director in his newest movie, 'Sudden Violence 3.' His directorial debut was a huge success, showing the world that he can direct just as well as he could act.

The media, however, had a field day when they discovered that Johnny was seeing a military officer. There were rumors going along town that their relationship wouldn't last, but Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade defied all odds and stayed together.

Following Liu and Kitana's wedding, things had quieted down somewhat. Eventhough there was still the threat of Shao Kahn, Kabal and the reformed Black Dragon, Havik and the Chaosrealm, the remants of the Brotherhood of the Shadow, Sektor and his Tekunin robo-ninja clan, Hotaru and the Seido fanatics, all was calm. But Johnny and Sonya both knew that it would only be a matter of time before Earth was put in danger once again and they would be there to defend it from all enemies.

However, the rules of Mortal Kombat stated that once a Grand Champion was declared, fifty years would pass until that person could age normally. Rayden, however, had the Elder Gods drop that rule once the Deadly Alliance had been stopped. Because Shang and Quan Chi had changed the rules of Mortal Kombat, Rayden saw that a drastic change would need to be taken place.

Not only can Liu remain his youth until the next tournament, but so can Sonya, Johnny and the other Earthrealm warriors.

Right now, Sonya had calmed down, and was resting her head against Johnny's chest. In the back of his mind, Johnny wondered if this is the same Sonya Blade which knocked the Black Dragon member Kano off a skyscraper during the Outworld invasion.

Sonya looked at Johnny. "Thank you," she replied softly.

Johnny looked at the small alarm clock. It was two in the morning. "We need to get out," he said.

Sonya looked at the clock, then back at him. "At this time of the night?"

Johnny nodded. "Yeah. It's not what you're thinking, Sonya. I know this little 24-hour cafe not too far from here. Maybe we can use a late-night drink and snack."

* * *

-Jesse's Cafe, 30 minutes later...-

Aside from the regulars inside a small corner cafe in a quiet section of Los Angeles, Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage were seated in a small corner booth at the far end of the restaurant.

Sonya was dressed in the same outfit that she wore while fighting the Deadly Alliance: a short jacket, white T-shirt that left her flat stomach exposed, black tight pants and boots, her straps to her thong showing. Johnny was dressed in a simple white dress shirt, the top button undone, a pair of denim pants and a pair of shoes. On his face were a pair of Johnny Knoxville-style sunglasses.

Johnny knew the owners from long before he became a famous movie star, since he used to worked there. When they were about to go bankrupt, Johnny gave them the money to get out of debt, showing off his charitable side. Whenever he came into the cafe, the didn't treat him like a movie star, but much more like a person from the neighborhood.

Sonya looked at Johnny. Ten years ago, she met him under the most extreme of circumstances. While pursuing Kano to Shang Tsung's Island, Sonya and her squad was captured by Shang's personal guard and Sonya was forced to compete for her and her comrades' freedom. Following Shang's defeat at the hands of Liu Kang, her teammates were killed while making their escape.

When Sonya first met Johnny, she thought that he was nothing more than an cocky and egotistical actor with something to prove. Only when Sonya had gotten to know the man behind the shades, she saw a different person, as did Johnny, when he got to know Sonya better. Sonya was even more impressed to find out that Johnny was also quite the humanitarian, working with various organizations. He even donated all of his winnings to various charities and non-profit organizations after winning the celebrity Smash TV competition, knocking the Mutoid Man out with his signature Green Fireball.

"Want to know why I decided to join the military?" Sonya asked, taking sips from her hot cocoa.

Johnny nodded.

"To tell you the truth," Sonya confessed, "I wanted to be a doctor. Daniel, my twin brother, was more military than I was. I guess I joined up just to impress my father."

Johnny could sympathise. Herman Blade, Sonya's father, was a difficult man to impress indeed, since Johnny had met him on several occasions. The retired major had sharply disapproved his daughter dating a movie star and wanted her to be courted by a military officer instead. Only Sonya's mother, Erica Blade, a registered nurse, stood by Sonya's decision in making her relationship with the action star official.

Johnny's parents and younger sister, on the other hand, was a different story. His father, Robert Carlton, a high-priced stockbroker, had approved of Sonya from the start, while his mother, Rose Carlton, a socialite, had disapproved of Sonya, solely because of her military background.

Fortunately for Johnny, his younger sister, Rebecca, who was an aspiring singer/actress, took his side in him dating Sonya. Sonya was even snubbed by Johnny's ex-wife, former supermodel Cindy Ford, who called her a 'ditzy blonde acting as Miss Military.' Basically, Sonya wanted to beat Johnny's ex to a pulp when she saw her again, but Johnny managed to talk her out of it...eventhough she deserved it.

"You ever told your parents on how we met?" Sonya asked.

Johnny snorted. "Uh, yeah. What should I say to them? 'I met Sonya ten years ago at a martial arts tournament with cutthroats, ninjas, monks, a thunder god, a guy old as dirt and a pissed-off Shokan warrior.' Yeah, that would make a great impression for them."

"So you lied," Sonya surmised.

Johnny nodded. "I'd prefer to call it a truth from a certain point of view. It's not everyday that you meet someone under strange circumstances such as a Mortal Kombat tournament. I just told them that you and Jax were military consultants for one of my movies and I asked you out on a date."

Which was true, sort of. Several months after Shinnok's attempt to invade Earth, Johnny had showed up at the O.I.A. headquarters. Rather than hire an expensive military consultant for his latest project, which was a military-based movie, Johnny had sought out both Jax and Sonya as consultants. Now only were they his friends, but they also worked cheaper.

Sonya remembered that confrontation that Johnny had with Cyrax.

* * *

_Flashback_

_Outerworld Investigation Agency, El Toro. The commotion was loud enough to attract Jax and Sonya from their duties. Wondering who would be causing a ruckus, Jax flagged down a passing tech. "What's going on?" the bionic-armed commando asked._

_"There's some guy claiming he's Johnny Cage in the yard, sir. Said he was looking for the both of you," the tech replied. "Cyrax is outside dealing with him."_

_"Crap," Jax muttered as he and Sonya rushed outside. "This could get bad."_

_'Bad' was an understatement. When Jax and Sonya arrived outside, they saw the aforementioned movie star fighting the newest member of the Special Forces._

_What they were fighting over, however, was a different story._

_"You owe me eight bucks for 'Ninja Mime!'" the former Lin Kuei assassin-turned-Special Forces operative yelled as he dropped several bombs from his open chest cavity. "That movie was a joke! You ripped me off!"_

_Johnny was dodging the bombs as they detonated. "Give me a break! It was my first movie!" he yelled back, knocking Cyrax back with a kick to the head. "At least it did good in France!" he added, punting a bomb in the air, which detonated._

_Then Cyrax exploded...then reformed behind Johnny. The movie star had seen this trick before, and managed to roll out of the way from Cyrax's attack. His shades, however, weren't so lucky. As Johnny rolled out of the way, they fell out of his jacket pocket. Before he could retrieve them, Cyrax saw them and smashed them under his mechanical heel._

_If Johnny wasn't mad that a rampaging cybernetic ninja was trying to rip him apart over a movie he did a long time ago, he was now over his now-destroyed sunglasses._

_"My...glasses!" Johnny seethed. "Those cost me $500, asshole!"_

_Johnny hopped back when Cyrax lunged in. Then he performed his trademark move: the Shadow Kick. For those present who thought his move was nothing but special effects, they were in for a big surprise. To anyone watching, it was as if someone had caught Johnny's movement in a green strobe light._

_To Cyrax, it felt like he was being hit by a 300-pound pissed-off linebacker. Or worse, Jax's Bionic Rush Punch._

_"STAND DOWN!"_

_Jax's voice rang out thoughout the open area. Almost immediately, the cybernetic unit formerly known as LK-4D4 took several steps back as his commanding officer and his second in command stepped in between the dueling fighters._

_Jax turned to Johnny. "Inside. Now."_

_Inside a conference room at the O.I.A., Johnny explained to Jax and Sonya as to why he was there. Fortunately, Sonya had some vacation time coming up and with Jax's consent, allowed her to act as Johnny's consultant._

_End Flashback_

_

* * *

_

"You know that Jax and Cyrax became suspicious of all the time I was spending with you," Sonya continued. "The looks on their faces when they caught us kissing."

Johnny chuckled. "I could have sworn that Jax was about to have a coronary on the spot."

* * *

_Flashback_

_Shadow Productions, Los Angeles, California._

_It was late and the only two people on the set were Johnny and Sonya. The blonde officer was dressed down, while Johnny was still dressed in his costume, which was a formal Army officer's uniform, complete with the rank of Colonel. Instead of his shades, the action star was wearing a pair of eyeglasses. His hair was also cut short (Sonya's doing) in military fashion. Johnny's latest movie was that of a military-based thriller (in which he does no martial arts whatsoever), where he plays a military officer investigating a fellow officer on murder charges on the local military base._

_Sonya was grinning like a maniac. "Well, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Pesina," she began, addressing Johnny by his character's name, "you surprise even me. I never thought you'd look this good in a military uniform. Maybe you should enlist."_

_Johnny was still uncomfortable in the costume as he frowned at the blonde fighter. "Enjoy it while you can, Sonya," he retorted. "I knew I should have done that martial arts flick insead of this."_

_"At least this way people know that you can do something other than fighting," Sonya pointed out. "They can't say that your acting is fake."_

_"They know I can act. They just say that my fighting is nothing but special effects."_

_Sonya moved a bit closer to the movie star. "There is one thing that they can't question."_

_"And that is?"_

_"Your character." They were very close together now. Before either person knew what was happening, their arms were around each other and they were kissing in the privacy of the empty set._

_"Sonya, where are--"_

_The pair immediately broke off the kiss, but it was already too late. Jax and Cyrax looked in on them with more than a shocked expression. Both of their expressions simply read, 'What the crap.'_

_Sonya Blade was sharing a romantic kiss with Johnny Cage. They could also tell that some tongue was involved._

_And she liked it._

_Jax looked as if Johnny had caught him with the Nutcracker. Cyrax looked like he wanted to cry...if cyborgs could cry. Or malfunction. Maybe even self-destruct._

_Sonya felt her ears burning. "Oh, boy," she muttered. "I'll never hear the end of this."_

_"You and me both," Johnny agreed._

_End Flashback_

_

* * *

_

"Well," Sonya started," Jax and Cyrax were understanding in our relationship."

Johnny scoffed. "You should have been there when they spoke to me in private. They basically said that they'll kick my ass if I do you wrong."

"Which I know you won't." Sonya took a bite out of her pumpkin pie. "Have you heard from Liu and Kitana lately?"

"I got a call from Kitana the other day," Johnny replied. "She said that she was spending some time with Liu at the academy."

"Which one? There's two of them, you know."

"The one in Hawaii."

Liu Kang was running the Wu Tai Academy in Hawaii along with Kung Lao, while fellow fighter Kai operated the Edenian branch along with Bo' Rai Cho, training the next generation of fighters in both Edenia and Earth.

"At least it's quiet," Johnny pointed out.

"But Kahn and everyone else is still out there," Sonya rebuked. "Anyway, Jax, Kenshi and I received a visit from Hotaru before I came here."

"Hotaru? He's that whackjob from Seido, right? Subzero told me about him."

Sonya nodded. "Apparently, he's heard of us and wanted us to join the Seidan Guard. That, and to give him the whereabouts of Subzero's Lin Kuei headquarters. Basically, I don't sell out my friends, nor join someone who takes the side of evil under the premise that order can be brought throughout the realms."

* * *

_-Flashback-_

_Outerworld Investigation Agency, El Toro.Upon arriving at the main building, an enlisted tech approached the military jeep that contained both Lt. Colonel Briggs and Major Blade. The tech saluted them as the two officers exited the jeep. "Sir, Ma'am, there's someone here to see the both of you," he said._

_Jax frowned. "Who is it?" he asked._

_"He says his name is Hotaru, sir," the tech replied. "He claims to be from the realm of Seido."_

_Jax and Sonya traded glances. They both heard of Hotaru from Subzero, and from the police officer Kurtis Stryker. Hotaru was a devout follower of the Laws of Order in Seido (fanatic in Subzero's eyes), and Captain of the Seidan Guard. He also allied himself with Onaga sometime back, hoping that the rule that the Dragon King would bring would finally bring Outworld under law and order._

_He also hated Subzero with a passion, and had tried to kill him in the past, mainly because the Lin Kuei grandmaster, along with the assisstance of O.I.A. member Kenshi had wiped out large numbers of Tarkatan soldiers under Onaga's control, thus placing the blind O.I.A. operative on Hotaru's shit list._

_"Where is he now?" Sonya asked._

_"Inside Confernece Room 3, Major," the tech replied. "He's quite the oddball."_

_'You haven't seen the rest of the circus,' Jax thought darkly as he and Sonya sent the tech on his way._

_"Hotaru? What's he doing here?" Sonya asked Jax as they headed for the conference room._

_"Don't know," The bionic armed commando replied. "Whatever it is, it may not be good. Where's Kenshi?"_

_"He's out on leave."_

_"That's good to know," Jax grunted. "Last thing we need here is a bloodbath...eventhough we DO hold the advantage."_

_"What we don't know is how many Seido Guardsmen are out there," Sonya said._

_"True," Jax said as they approached the doors with the bronze plaque that read **CONFERENCE ROOM THREE** on the front. They opened the doors and entered the room._

_At the opposite end of the table, a lone figure was looking at one of the murals that was hanging on the walls. Jax and Sonya recognized the piece as Washington Crossing the Delaware. The man had long white hair, like Rayden and the wind god Fujin. He was also muscular and it showed through the black Armani suit he wore over his body, rather than his usual body armor._

_"I like this painting," Hotaru said without turning around. "This man, Washington, who was he?"_

_"The commander of the Continental Army," Jax explained. "He lead the fight for American independence from Great Britain over two hundred years ago."_

_"I like this man," the Seidan martial artist replied, nodding. "We haven't been formally introduced." He turned around. "I am Hotaru, commander of the Seidan Guard. I have heard a lot about the both of you, Colonel Briggs and Major Blade."_

_Sonya gestured to a chair. "Please, sit."_

_Hotaru took a seat, as did Sonya and Jax. "So what can we do for you, Hotaru?" Jax asked._

_"It appears that we all have something in common," Hotaru explained. "That something is order. There is an order to the universe -- laws that all of nature must follow and obey. I want order to come to all of the realms through Seido's laws. Through order, comes serenity and through serenity, comes peace. For centuries I have imposed order on those who would wreak havoc, and I have come to the both of you out of good faith."_

_"Speak," Jax ordered._

_Horatu leaned back in his chair. "There are two among you, whom I seek. I wish to bring them to justice in the Seidan Courts. I believe you two know of them. The first is the Lin Kuei master cryomancer known as Subzero. The second, is one of your own, the blind swordsman known as Kenshi."_

_"What are the charges?" Jax demanded._

_"For Subzero, murder," Hotaru deadpanned. "He has slain countless Tarkata under Onaga's control, not to mention a number of my men when sent to capture him for Lord Onaga. Kenshi is considered an accompliace for the crimes, as well as slaughtering numbers of Onaga's forces."_

_"Sounds a lot more like self-defense if you ask me," Sonya said._

_"As for Subzero, he is not a member of this unit," Jax said. "He is currently rebuilding the Lin Kuei."_

_"Then you must know where he is," Hotaru insisted. "He must face justice for his crimes."_

_"What is the penalty for these crimes you brought against them?" Sonya asked._

_"The penalty for these crimes is death," Hotaru replied. "Their fate will serve as a reminder to those who challenge the Order of Seido."_

_Jax slowly stood up. "Looks like you got yourselves two more challengers to Seido's law. Subzero may have done wrong in his past, but he is not like his brother, nor will we betray our friends."_

_Hotaru slowly stood up. "If you are not with us, then you are Seido's enemy, as well as mine," he said in a cool tone. "You, as well as Major Blade will face justice soon enough."_

_"I don't think so," a third voice said._

_Jax and Sonya turned around, the familiar effect of their hair rising on the back of ther necks._

_Rayden, the dark thunder god and Earth Realm Protectorate has made his presence known, appearing in a bolt of lightning from behind Sonya and Jax. He wasn't wearing his fighting attire from during the fiasco with the Dragon King, but his attire was all black - a turtleneck sweater, slacks and boots. His long hair was tied back into a ponytail as he looked at the Seidan fanatic with electric blue eyes, rather than his red ones, which showed that he was REALLY mad._

_And he didn't look too happy. Then again, Rayden was never too happy these days._

_Hotaru took a step back. Even he knew that he was no match for a pissed-off thunder god. Sonya and Jax backed away from the thunder god as well, Jax wondering in the back of his mind if the OIA was insured from a rampaging thunder god._

_Rayden pointed to Hotaru. "You are in no posistion to give demands, Seidan."_

_"Lord Rayden, I--"_

_"**SILENCE!**" Rayden boomed, causing Jax and Sonya to wince from his voice. "In case you haven't known, Subzero and Kenshi are under my protection, as is the rest of those who fight for Earth Realm. And I already have enough problems in keeping Earth safe already. I've said it once and I will say it again: those who put Earth Realm in danger will pay with their lives...including you."_

_Both Jax and Sonya knew that Rayden wasn't one to bluff. He made Shujinko an example after Onaga was defeated._

_"You have overstayed your welcome," Rayden deadpanned. "I think it's itme for you to leave."_

_-End Flashback-_

_

* * *

_

Johnny flashed his trademark grin. "I wouldn't worry about that order freak. Anyway, as to being the defenders of Earth, we'll be there to kick some more Outworld ass, as always. All we got to do is stay on Rayden's good side."

Sonya scoffed. "What's left of it. Earth's been put in danger mostly by its inhabitants so Rayden has the right as our protector to be pissed. Who could blame Rayden for getting in touch with his dark side. You heard what he did to Shujinko."

Johnny's face then matched that of his blonde companion's. "I know that, but having a thunder god doing his impression of Emperor Palpatine is very unsettling. Next thing you know, Rayden will be going on about the Dark Side and frying my ass because he thinks I'm Luke Skywalker. But like you said, as long as we fight for Earth and not piss Rayden off any more than he already is, then we're on his good list."

"And it's a **VERY** short list at that," Sonya said.

"On that, we can agree on," Johnny said.

They continued to talk and share memories over coffee and pie, until Johnny looked at the diner's clock, which read 3:18 am. After paying for the food, Johnny and Sonya left the diner and returned back home.

* * *

Back at Johnny's place, the pair took the elevator to Johnny's floor. Sonya was leaning on him, her head resting on his shoulder. "Feeling better?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "Thanks for taking me out."

"You're very welcome."

The elevator stopped on their floor and they walked off. Approaching Johnny's door, the couple was silent. It was only when they were inside that Sonya spoke.

"Johnny?"

The movie star had placed his shades on the table. "Yeah?"

"Come to bed. I don't want to sleep alone," Sonya said.

Johnny grinned. That was one invitation that he wasn't going to refuse.

For the rest of that night, Sonya Blade had no nightmares whatsoever as she slept, with Johnny right beside her.


End file.
